Ask Shakta: What is the true purpose of Children’s Yoga?

(Occasionally I will post actual input from RCY student’s at-home practicum and my comments to them.)

Radiant Child Yoga student: The 3-5 year olds that I teach love the ocean/seagull relaxation from Fly Like A Butterfly. I have been going around and taking the imagined birdseed from their hands when they are quiet. But I am beginning to think it is time to change this. I’ve been using it fairly consistently since the beginning of the year, and they are now giggling and laughing when I take the “birdseed” from their hands. What suggestions do you have for this?

Shakta: Children should have joy–that is number one in importance. So if they giggle and it is not out of control, that is all fine, no harm done, and perhaps they needed that laugh more than you know.

There is a bigger question here that is good to ask ourselves: What is our point in yoga, especially in children’s yoga? It is to have them execute poses well? Learn how to behave better for the sake of the adults around them? Or is the first and foremost purpose to find joy within themselves and act from that place of connection?

Here is an idea to make this scenario into a conscious interaction with them: When you take the birdseed from their hands, see yourself connecting just for that moment with just that child. Feel an appreciation–a blessing- going from you to that child. Do it as an experiment. I bet that you will find that it changes the feeling space between you and it will carry over into that child’s relationship with you ever after. And that, my friend, is yoga!

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

Shakta is an AMS certified Montessori teacher, and the author of five well-known Yoga books, CDs and DVDs. Her latest book, The Yoga Way to Radiance: How to Follow Your Inner Guidance and Nurture Children to do the Same, is scheduled for release in summer of 2016, (Llewellyn Worldwide)